I have a ground floor condo apartment in a 1960s-era, four-story building that is part of a multi-building complex. It appears that debris from the aging plumbing is settling into the stop valves and faucets in my unit. First the faucets won't turn off completely, and then the stop valves can't be turned off to enable faucet-cartridge replacement. To compound the problem (and amazingly to me), there is only one water main cut-off for the entire complex of hundreds of units. So basically, to fix a dripping faucet I have to shut off water to hundreds of people for two or more hours. My bigger problem seems to be that replacing the stop valves and faucet cartridges will only be a temporary solution until the next chunk of rust falls from my neighbors above. Obviously the best fix would be to have the complex update all of the plumbing. But while I'm waiting over the next few decades for that to happen, does someone have an idea as to how to prevent all of my neighbors' rust and scale from preventing me being able to turn off my faucets?

Many thanks!

I don't think it is your neighbors or even the old plumbing as much as the fact that the shutoffs are getting old and breaking down. They are hard to shut because they have not been used in decades.. so kind of seized up now. The shutoffs may not have been installed right to begin with... here, if plumber overheated the shutoffs then the rubber washers cooked and are bad from the start.

I would recommend that the next time your building shuts down for maintenance or for other problem that you be inline to have your shutoffs replaced. They will be fine for years to come... big, old building or not. I bet you!! Just make sure plumber does not cook the rubber washers (should remove shutoff stem prior to soldering shutoffs on)

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Since you are in a condo I will assume you own it and there is an Association, right so far? Next time they notify you that the water is being shut down you can install your own main shut off on your incoming cold supply. Heck, just tell them you are doing this and they must shut down for you.

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Originally Posted by massplumber2008

I don't think it is your neighbors or even the old plumbing as much as the fact that the shutoffs are getting old and breaking down. They are hard to shut because they have not been used in decades..so kinda seized up now. The shutoffs may not have been installed right to begin with...here, if plumber overheated the shutoffs then the rubber washers cooked and are bad from the start.

I would recommend that the next time your building shuts down for maintenance or for other problem that you be inline to have your shutoffs replaced. They will be fine for years to come...big, old building or not. I bet ya!!! Just make sure plumber does not cook the rubber washers (should remove shutoff stem prior to soldering shutoffs on)

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Many thanks for the information. But it does appear that it is debris coming somewhere from upstream. We had the water cut off Friday and had a licensed plumber come in to replace a clogged kitchen faucet, the clogged and broken bathroom vanity stop valves, and to to add stop valves to the tub faucet. I watched him perform most of the work and, sure enough, he found chunks of metallic particles (like scale and beads of old solder) in the faucet, the valves and just behind the valves in the pipes (which he flushed). Maybe it was just a poor plumbing job done all those years ago. With luck, and the flushed pipes, maybe I'll be good for enough years until the complex's plumbing is updated (or at least until the condo association agrees to fund the installation of a minimum of one cut-off per building).

Thanks again, Steve

You can add a filter to the water line. There is typically a bypass that allows you to change the filter and not shutting off the water.

If the debris are large, you can use a screen filter.

Here is a whole house filter that looks like it's designed for what you want to do.

PlumbingSupply.com - sediment/sand removal water filters and replacement filters

Outaspace, did you have the plumber install your own main valve so you can do maintenance without shutting down the complex? That would make installing your own filter a bit easier.